Arizona Heat
by BellaMarizo
Summary: A story about Adam Ross: his childhood and family in Phoenix, Arizona and the secrets he keeps, and how Danny can help him. AdamDanny friendship.
1. Chapter 1

_My attempt on writing a story about our favorite lab tech. Hope you like it. Reviews greatly appreciated._

_BM D_

* * *

"_You'll never hurt him again! You hear me? Never!" the boy screamed as he held the pistol in his shaking hand, pointing it to a man twice his age and size. _

"_You haven't got the guts!" the man drunkenly yelled back. His breath smelled like bourbon. He'd been drinking all day._

"_Don't come any closer." He warned him when he took a couple of steps towards him and he stepped back. "Or…" His voice trailed. He knew that he was deadly serious about it, but he still looked scared holding a gun like that._

"_Or what?" he yelled._

_Two seconds ticked on before the old man_ moved for the gun. He may have been drunk but he was fast, and strong. He was definitely stronger than the boy. They struggled for that gun in that small living room. They both knew that whoever had the gun would be the only one leaving this house breathing. Both of them were sweaty and tired but were in this adrenaline-induced state fighting for survival.

_In their struggle a co__uple of stray bullets were shot: One through the window and the other through a closet door. They were so loud, like firecrackers. Then the two men landed on the old sofa, the drunk on top. Another pop was heard. And the boy's eyes completely widened in surprise and his mouth was open but nothing came out but air. Then one more pop and then another and then…_

"Yo, Adam." A deep resonant broke the silence of the trace lab.

"Huh," He jumped a little, startled of the voice that broke his daydream, more like nightmare.

"Easy there… you ok?" The blonde and bespectacled CSI gently touched the lab technician's shoulder. He looked a little sick.

"Oh yeah Danny." He was quick to answer. "I'm ok. I'm fine… Just surprised me that's all."

"Sorry." He replied. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok." He said. "You didn't." he defended himself.

"So, you got the results on the trace we found on the 'Fernando' girl?" he asked, looking at the full table of lab equipment's.

"You mean the cultural dancer?" he asked looking at the different files in front of them.

"That's the one." He answered.

"Here it is." He replied, pulling a sheet of paper out of the printer nearby. "It's aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex gly." He looks at it and shows it to the other man.

"Deodorant?" he asked rhetorically, his tone sounding more surprised than it should.

"An essential for any dancer." The bearded lab tech added.

"What's an essential for any dancer?" this firm but feminine voice asked as it's owner was walking into the lab.

"Hey Stella." Adam greeted with a smile.

"Looks like the substance we found on Gina Fernando's tank top was only deodorant." He explained disappointedly. "Most likely her own. Must have gotten there when she was getting dressed."

"Well, what about those fibers you found caught on her bracelet?" She asked, not wanting to linger on the bad news. "Could be from her killer's."

"Hopefully." The male CSI said. "It looked like the fibers used for the male dancers."

"Actually, it only looks like that," the lab tech corrected pulling out the results from the other printer. "The fibers on your vic's bracelet is genuine pineapple fibers. The dancer's costumes are synthetic, a lot cheaper. Only genuine Filipino 'barongs' or 'barong tagalogs' are made of pure pineapple fibers and those things can cost from 150 to 500." He explained. "My guess is you're not looking for a fellow dancer, you're looking for a guest in the party."

"Let's check the guest book." The curly-haired woman suggested before leaving. "Thanks Adam."

"No problem." He reassured.

"Yeah, thanks." The other CSI said, following her out of the trace lab.

He looks at them leave. Stella's hair bouncing off her shoulders as she walked down the halls. Her heels clicking lightly. Danny soon followed behind her.

'_Why'd he have to look like him?' Adam mentally asked whichever deity he pissed off to have an almost daily reminder of his past. It was that day of the year. People would call it an anniversary but that would bring to mind a sort of celebration and that would be the last thing he'd ever want. _

_From behind, they looked exactly alike: the hair color, the height, and the built, same way of walking. Some days, the guy even dressed a lot like him, especially around this time of year, when a lot of things reminded him of him._

_Or maybe it was just all in his head. It could just be his imagination, his overactive and slightly paranoid imagination. His imagination, with this one-day-of-the-year, along with the summer heat could very well cause his hallucinations. _

"You're just seeing things." He tells himself. He's been telling himself that for a while now.

"_It'll be over soon." A calming familiar voice in his head reassures Adam, a voice that he misses._


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry it took so long for me to write... got a case of writers block. Hope you like it._

_BM D_

* * *

The two CSI's, from earlier, came back walking towards the break room, both with big smiles on their faces. The case must be going pretty well. Stella got herself a cup of coffee while Danny went to the vending machine to get some 'Skittles.' He must have said a joke because Stella was laughing her head off, her curls bouncing as she took her seat. The other CSI opted to stand, leaning against a wall with his small bite-size pieces of candy in hand, throwing them in the air and catching them in his mouth.

'_They even eat alike.' He thought to himself, remembering some of the times he and Adam were in their school cafeteria. He'd do the exact same thing when he ate 'm&m'. He'd probably be around his age by now. He couldn't wrap his head around the comparisons. Just thinking of him made him feel like a kid all over again._

_He was just a couple of years older than Adam, but at the time those years were a big part of who they were. He was fourteen years old a teenager, which was a world apart from Adam who was still ten. He was always considered to be the cooler, older one while Adam was more of the geeky, younger one. Normally you'd think that he'd be treated like that, but he never let that be that case._

_Adam never felt left out. He was always there to protect him, so if anyone did they'd mess with the little guy, they'd be messing with him. Wherever he went 'the kid', which he affectionately called him, would always be welcomed to join. If his friends had any problem with that, they could go on without him._

_The only time that didn't apply was when he was told it would be too dangerous. Adam would stay with a neighbor until he came back. He hated when he'd get left behind, but he knew it would only happen for a good reason. He was a great guy, but it was no secret that he got himself into a lot of trouble. He'd been caught drinking, smoking a couple of times, nearly got caught with some weed. There were times he'd get home all beaten and battered. 'Don't worry. I'm tough. I can take it.' He'd reassure the kid. _

_The only thing he hated even more is when he was told to leave. There were times where they'd be caught in a bad situation and he told Adam to save himself. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to abandon him. _

"_Go kid. Get out of here." He'd yell, but Adam wouldn't budge. "Run." He'd say, but he still wouldn't leave. "Kid, I'm warning you: I'll never forgive you if don't leave right now."_

"_But," the kid would start to protest._

"_No buts," he'd cut him off. "Go. Run. You run back home, you understand?" he'd push him. "Go!" he'd scream and Adam would finally run away. "Don't look back kid." He'd yell._

_But one time he did look back. He didn't want to, but he needed to. He wanted to make sure they weren't going to kill him. There were three men, who knew him by name, so he didn't just run away. He stayed to fight. He got them at first, but three against one was just too much for him. He ended up on the ground, curled up as they kicked him down. _

_He couldn't take it anymore. He could hear him grunting and wincing as the three men were yelling down at him. He had to do something. He made some noise, rattled some nearby trash cans, broke a couple of bottles, anything that could distract the three. He got their attention, enough to get them to run before someone finds them beating a guy down. When they finally left, Adam got up from his hiding place and went back to check on him. _

_He was a total mess: he had a bloody nose, a fat lip, a black eye, a cut over his left eye and that was just on his face. Adam couldn't imagine how much damage they may have cause under his clothes. He helps him get up._

"_What are you doing here kid?" he asked as he was struggling to get up. "Didn't I tell you to get out of here?"_

"_Well, yeah but." He was about to answer. _

"_What?" he cuts him off. "When I tell you to run, you run." He limped, but was standing on his own two feet._

"_I couldn't just leave you." He replied, trying to help him walk._

"_I told you to." He said almost screaming at the kid and took back his arm._

_He flinched, like the kid that he was. He just stood there and took it. He wasn't scared of him. He trusted him, enough to know that he wouldn't scream at him like that unless he really did mess up. 'I should have just done what he told me to.' He silently told himself. _

"_I'm sorry." He said as he walked back towards Adam. _

_He kneeled in front of him so he could look at him eye to eye. He had cleaned the blood off his face. It wasn't bleeding as much, but it still looked pretty bad. _

"_I'm sorry kid…" he said again. "Please stop crying." He said in a soft voice as he wiped his tears._

"_I'm not crying." Adam said as he sniffled a little and wiped the rest of the tears off his face._

"_Of course you're not." The older man agreed with a chuckle. "Now, lets get home. Mom will kill me if she knew what happened."_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi I hope you like this chapter. I'm sure I don't have the exact lines from 'SNOW DAY' but the thought is still the same. If anyone would like to make some corrections, I'd be open to them._

_BM D_

"Hey Adam," the bespectacled CSI said.

"What is it Danny?" he asked, just a shy of irritated, wiping his shirt.

"Hey, calm down." He said, with palms out in mock surrender. He walked towards the younger man in the locker room.

"I'm sorry Danny." He apologized. "I just spilled coffee on me earlier."

"Oh, at least its quitting time." He tries to console him. "Got plans for tonight?"

"No, not really" he answered as he got his bag out of his locker. "Other than go home and rest. How about you?"

"Me and Flack are going to Sullivan's for a couple of drinks." He answered, opening his own locker. "You want to come?" he asked.

"Why?" he asked, sounding a little rude but was really curious.

"Just thought you might want a drink after today." He cryptically explained. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yes, Danny I'm fine." He reassured him, less irritated but more convincingly, then left before he could insist anymore.

'_What was that about?' he mentally asked himself. He could excuse his actions and absent-mindedness to himself, but this. _

_Danny never asked him outside of the lab. Sometimes Stella would, before Aiden or Hawkes would along with Danny, but never Danny himself. He's sure it's nothing personal. It's not like some sort of conspiracy. He never thought Danny hated him or anything. He just thought that they were two different people that just never got together. They were lab friends, but not exactly out-for-a-couple-of-drinks friends._

He enters the elevator and the smell of the spilled coffee on his shirt caught his attention. Then he's reminded of how much of an idiot he acted earlier. It wasn't just being a jerk to him, but he's been somewhat like this the whole day. He's easily startled. He's not in the present moment and he's been a lot more distant than usual. He just wishes the day to be over.

'_It's not his fault.' He silently scolds himself. 'It's not his fault he looks like him, acts like him and basically reminds him of him daily.' He's seen small bits of resemblance in him ever since he started working in the trace lab. He had to do a double take when they were introduced. The comparison never got this bad, only when the day is today. _

_The only other time he thought he was looking at a ghost was about a couple of months ago. How could he ever forget that day? It was suppose to be a routine process of the scene. It was a drug bust in a warehouse in downtown. It was suppose to be so easy the first few minutes he was there he was working alone. Mac said Lindsay would be coming to help him out and that he should just hang tight._

_The next thing he knows he's in the truck with a couple of uniform officers. These big guys in ski masks with gun were shouting at them, telling them to be quiet. They had thick Irish accents. From what he could hear, they were more likely a part of the gang that was here earlier. _

_When they saw his ID, they found out that he was from the crime lab. They started beating him up more harshly. They knew that's where the cops kept everything they needed: their cocaine and their guns. What they didn't know was how to get them all back and they were going to beat it out of Adam until they found out. _

_His stomach hurt. His back ached and he was sure he was bleeding from his head. _

Irishman: where's our coke?

Adam: I don't know.

Irishman: Stop shitting with me. _(hits him on the side of his head)_

Adam: I told you, I don't know.

Irishman: You don't know. _(Rubbed out a cigarette on his hand, causing him to scream in pain.) _Do you know now?

Adam: No! _(Burned him again.) _Ahh…

Irishman: Now?

_It went on like that for what felt like forever. His hands felt like they were on fire. He couldn't take it anymore. He told them._

Adam: Ok, ok, please stop. Please. _(They did.) _We keep all our evidence in a vault in the crime lab, but it's impossible to open unless you had the combination and only a few people know that.

_Then they heard someone coming. The guys in ski masks jumped out of the truck as quietly as they could. The two other uniform officers tied and gagged right in front of him._

"Adam!" someone shouted his name. It was Danny.

"Danny," he called back. "Watch out."

_Then they hit the CSI on the back of his head and he went to the ground in a dull grunt. He could hear him grunting as the perpetrators dragged him in the truck. They sat him next to the beaten lab technician, the uniform officers across from them. _

_Adam's eye sight was blurry from the tears, from the pain, but the minute the perps left them alone he tried to check on his co-worker. He was slumped over, but he didn't look badly beaten or bleeding. After a couple of minutes, he started to come to. _

"Ahh… Adam." He grunts out.

"Danny." He replied.

"What happened?" he asked, finally looking up and seeing the bloody lab tech.

"They came out of nowhere." He answered. "I think they're the same guys Flack arrested earlier."

"This ain't good." He said as he sat up right next to him.

_The CSI scooted closer to him, turning his back away from the gunmen, who were otherwise preoccupied talking to one another. Slowly, Adam could see Danny take out his cell phone and as quietly as possible dial._

"What's going on in there??" One of the Irishmen yelled as he jumped back in the truck striding over to the blonde.

_He mustn't have been quiet enough. Keeping his head down, Danny tries to hide the cell phone before they could see it, but it was too late. The gunman kicked the phone away from him._

"Trying to call one of your cop friends?" he sarcastically scoffed with a thick Irish accent. Then he raised his gun above the CSI's head and slammed the butt of his rifle on his exposed hand.

"Ahhh!!" Danny screams.

_He winced and sobbed 'his hand may be broken' he thought to himself. He just looked on, not only fearing but knowing that he couldn't do anything about it. He just looked at his co-worker cowering on the floor carefully clutching his broken hand to his chest. _

"That'll teach you." The gunman said, took the phone with him and left them in the back of the truck.

_When they were alone, Danny finally moved from his almost fetal position on the floor. He uses his elbows and to move himself up into a seating position next to Adam. They leaned against the same wall, legs outstretched. _

_In closer inspection, the lab tech could see the other man's left hand. It didn't look as bad as his burns, but it definitely looked broken. The butt of the rifle left a dark impression on the back of his hand. The knuckles were bent up and out like the fingers were pulled back and they stayed that way._

"I'm sorry Danny." His apology stained with a bit of blood from the cut on his lip.

"Why?" he asked, confused about the confession.

"I told them." He admitted between sobs. "I told them everything."

"What?" he asked still confused. "What did you tell them?" he asked, but he only cried a little more. The CSI grabbed his arm and got him to look at him. "Adam, what did you tell them?" he asked again, more firmly.

"They wanted to know where their drugs were." He answered. "I told them we kept them at the lab. They took my ID and my personal password."

"What else?" he asked.

"They," he hiccupped his answer. "They wanted to know where the guns were."

"Shit!" was all he said.

"I'm sorry." He repeated and he didn't say reply.

'Ding' the elevator doors opened.


	4. Chapter 4

A woman in a blue suit with a jacket over her arm and a suitcase on the other walked in. She was followed by an older man in a gray suit and other people walked in with badges.

'_Must be detectives' Adam thought to himself as the elevator doors closed._

They went down two more floors before 'thump'. The elevator stopped suddenly. It shook just a little. The lights flickered slightly. The others weren't too bothered. The woman was just startled and swore out of surprise. The older man just pressed the emergency button. Adam was the only one shook up, enough to grab the handle bars attached to the walls. He gripped them so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"What the hell happened?" one detective asked.

"The elevator stopped." The other replied.

"Just great." The woman said sarcastically.

"The maintenance should have fixed this months ago." The older man added as he repeatedly pushed the emergency button.

"Hey," the first detective turned to the pale lab tech. "You ok?" he asked.

"I am." He answered. Then he realized he was still holding on to dear life via the handle bars. "Sorry, just a little jumpy." He apologized, slowly loosening his grip.

_He really was ok. He's not claustrophobic or anything. He's been stuck in an elevator before. There's nothing to worry about. He knew that. He's been so uneasy today. It's like he's ready to jump out of his own skin. This situation was not helping. _

Five minutes ticked on, before 'thump.' The elevator began to function again just like how it stopped. It shook a little and the lights ever so slightly. Then it just went on like nothing happened.

"Thank God." The woman exclaimed as the others just went back to normal, waiting patiently to get down to the lobby.

_Adam wasn't as startled as before. He did reach out for the handle bars, but slowly let go when he realized that the elevator was just moving again. _

_He chuckles to himself, thinking how stupid he must have looked to them. He should just relax he tells himself then takes deep calming breaths. Then he remembers what he was thinking about earlier._

_The gunmen were standing just outside the truck, out of earshot talking amongst themselves. He breathes deeply almost blowing on the small burns he had on his hands. He looks at the uniform officers in front of him and they gave each other worried looks. The only one who didn't look as worried was the man sitting right next to him._

_Danny was craning his neck, checking if any of the Irishmen were looking at them. He was still clutching his broken hand close to his chest. Then with his free and good hand he took out his badge. Adam didn't know why, he could only look on. The CSI put his badge on the palm of his broken hand. Slowly but surely he pushed it up to his deformed fingers. He pushed a little bit more; to get his hand back to its normal shape and just held the badge in place._

"Adam," he called out to him.

"Yes," he replied. "Yes, Danny."

"Is that your kit over there?" he asked, nodding to the silver kit just outside the truck.

"Yeah," he answered. "That's mine."

"Good, good." He added. "You got everything inside there?" he asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

"What you got in there?" he asked. Then he ripped his white sleeve.

"Swabs, baggies, black light…" he was about to go on.

"Any chemicals?" he asked, cutting the other man off. Then he continued to rip his sleeve.

"Yeah, ethanol alcohol, hydrochloric acid…" he answered.

"Hydrochloric acid?" he asked and the other man just nodded."That's good, good." He added with a small smile.

"Why?" the lab tech asked worried and scared.

"Adam, I need you to do something." He replied as he wrapped the clean fabric around his hand and badge to keep his broken fingers in place. "I need you to go out there."

"What? No." he replied even more worried and more scared.

"I need you to go out there." The CSI continued as if he didn't hear the lab techs refusal. "I need you to get to your kit and get the hydrochloric acid."

"No," he repeated himself. "I can't."

"We'll need it." He replied just as calmly as before, as if he didn't hear him.

"Danny, I can't" he said again.

"Adam," he called to him sternly, looking straight into the younger man's fearful eyes. "You **will **go out there. You **will** go to your kit and you **will** get the hydrochloric acid."

_Adam knew that voice. He knew that tone of voice very well, and he did what he could only do._

"Ok." He replied still scared, but what else could he do.

"Ok," the CSI repeated his words.

"But how?" he asked.

_Before the older man heard the question, he was already up off. He held his broken hand in his in his other hand, holding it close to his chest. Quickly, he stood up and ran and jumped out of the truck, leaving the other officers and a frightened Adam to his own devices._

"Yo, Irish bastards." Danny yelled as he jumped out and off the truck then ran off.

"Get him." One of the gang members yelled as they chased the bespectacled man almost out of the warehouse.

_When he saw the guys in ski masks ran after Danny, Adam took that as his cue. Quickly but quietly he jumped out of the truck, leaving the tied and gagged officers. He crouched down on the floor as he crept closer to his kit. He opened it and looked for the bottle of hydrochloric acid. As soon as he got it, he went back to the truck._

"Thought you could get away, did ya?" Adam heard one of the gunmen asked sarcastically.

"Just thought I go for a little walk," Danny's voice replied just as sarcastically. "Get some fresh air."

"Fresh air?" An Irish accent asked with a chuckle. Then he heard a loud thump then Danny grunted in pain.

_He didn't see any of it, but he knew what was happening. He cowered in the corner of the van, clutching the newly acquired bottle. He could hear them. They were beating him up. Danny was clearly in pain, but he was either tough enough or stupid enough to actually talk back to them_.

_This oddly felt familiar: Hiding nearby as someone else was getting beat up, feeling like as if he couldn't do anything, nothing to help, feeling like a coward. This felt way too familiar. He clutched the bottle, his knuckles turning as white as the bottle itself._

_In his head, he was back in Phoenix, Arizona. He was back in that alley, hiding behind a dumpster listening to him getting beat up. He was back to being a useless kid, a ten year old, who couldn't do much of anything but run when he was told to and hide when he was suppose to._

_Then he remembered earlier. The voice Danny used on him just a few minutes earlier. He remembers who he reminded him of. 'They even had the same tone of voice.' Adam thought. It was that tone of voice that he couldn't refuse. It always left him no room for any other option, other than what it told him. If it told him to do something he'd do it: It told him to leave, he left. It told him to run, he ran. He couldn't do anything else._

'Ding' the elevator doors opened. They finally reached the lobby.


	5. Chapter 5

It was already night time, but the summer heat didn't leave with the when the sun set. Instead, it just kept the air dry and uncomfortable, making any office worker to want to go back inside their building and the comforts of air conditioning.

This caused one particular lab tech to just casually wipe the sweat from his forehead and continued his way back to his apartment after a long and tiring day in the lab. This kind of warmth may have been bad for some people, but not to him. Living in the desert brought him up that way.

He had just crossed the street to go to the nearest subway station.

"Hey kid," a deep raspy voice called, sending shivers up and down the young man's spine.

'_Get a hold of yourself.' He mentally scolded himself. 'It may just be some bum begging for some lose change. There's no need to jump out of your skin.'_

The voice came from the alley he just walked passed. It just occurred to him that it may not be anything he needed to double back and just ignored the man.

"Kid," the same voice called back to him again. This time he grabbed the bearded young man's arm.

He turns around to pull back his arm and then he finally saw him. It was the owner of the voice. His eyes grew wide in disbelief because he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to see him. He hopes it was just a trick of the eyes.

"Hey kid," the man said with a brownish grin.

"You?" he said and realized it wasn't a trick.

_He panicked, but instead of recklessly moving, he was frozen on the spot. There were so many things in his head: things he wanted to do, things he wanted to say, but he couldn't. He always thought he'd be strong enough for when this day came, but he didn't realized that this, like anything else from his past, just reduced him to his frightened childhood._

"Yeah," the man replied. "Is that all you're going to say?" he asked.

"What were you expecting?" he asked rhetorically. His voice stained with anger as he violently pulled back his arm from the other man's grasp.

"Easy there, squirt." He said to calm him down, with his palms up and out in mock surrender. "I just thought, you know after all this time, I don't know…"

"What?" he cuts him off. "That's I'll be happy to see you?"

"Yeah." He answered casually as if nothing happened. "I mean, I'm still your father."

"Don't remind me." He replied furiously, finally noticing the older man's attire.

He was a mess: tattered shirt and jeans a dirty jacket, his hair grimy and dirty and his breath still smelled of bourbon.

"Hey, you don't talk to me like that." The man replied just as furiously. "You've got no right."

"No right?" the younger man asked rhetorically. "I've got every right to be angry at you." Then the other man was quiet with this stupid look on his face, like he hasn't figured it out yet. "What do you want?" Adam asked.

"Nothing." He answered, more like lied. "Wanted to see you?"

"Why you out of money?" he scoffed.

"Well, yeah but…" he answered.

"I don't have any." He cuts the older man off.

"Don't lie to me." He replied. "You're working for the fucking NYPD, for God's sake."

"I don't think it's enough to support an alcoholic." Adam replied and turned to leave.

"Hey, don't you think I forgot what day it is." He said. His words stopped the younger man dead on his tracks. "Did you?"

Adam turned back, glaring at the older man in anger. "You've got no right bringing him up."

"He was my son." He replied.

"Who you killed, you murderer." He yelled as he pushed the other man away.

"I did not kill him. It was self defense." He retaliated as he pushed Adam back in the dark alley. "The court said so."

"You walked you son of a bitch." Adam yelled in his face, which got him a push against the brick wall and a strong punch in the gut.

"You don't talk to that way." The older man screamed back and punched him in the face. "You bastard."

_Adam was against the wall. His head hitting the bricks as his so called father pummeled his face. He could taste blood. Then he was punched in the mid section. He thought his ribs were being broken. 'Do something.' He told himself. He tried to fight back, but he couldn't. Like years before, he just wasn't strong enough._

_Back then, by this time, he would have come to save him. He would have come pulling his father away from him. He would have been here by now to stop this drunk from hurting him again. He would have been here to defend him, to protect him, but he wasn't because he couldn't… not anymore. He wasn't there anymore._

"Hey, stop that." A whole different voice yelled at them, different but familiar.

He came rushing from the side walk and into the alley. He pushed the older man away from Adam, who just leaned on the wall as to not fall on the ground. The drunk tried to fight him. He tied to punch the newcomer, but he was just too fast. He avoided his fist and got to hit the other man back square on the jaw which caused him to fall back.

"Yo Adam," the blonde CSI turns his back at his co-worker leaning on the wall.

Then he turns back around and the asshole was gone. He must have stood up and ran down the dark alley. The bespectacled officer thought of chasing the perpetrator, but changed his mind when he heard his injured friend grunting in pain. He turns back around to check on him. The lab tech was holding a handkerchief to his face. 'His nose might be bleeding' he thought to himself and rushed to his side.

"Hey you ok?" he asked in concern, both hands resting on the other man's shoulders.

"Yeah… I'm fine." He replied a little irritated, keeping his head down as he wiped the blood from his lip. His words muffled by the handkerchief.

"You sure?" he asked again, bending down trying to take a look at his half covered face. "Let me see."

"Really I'm fine." He replied, still hiding his face from him.

"Let me take a look." The CSI insisted, still trying to see his colleagues' face.

"God, stop it." Adam burst, practically pushing the other man away. "I told you I'm fine Lucas." He added in blind furry.

**'What? Who the hell is Lucas?' Danny thought to himself.**


	6. Chapter 6

Danny was patiently waiting for Adam to finish. He sat on a bar stool as his beaten co-worker in the bathroom. The CSI had suggested going into this nearby bar so that he could clean himself up after what had just happened.

**To be honest, the bespectacled man still couldn't figure out what had happened. He was just about to meet Flack for a couple of drinks when he heard a little scuffle from across the street. He followed the noise and found himself in a dark alley where he saw a guy beating up another guy. Out of instincts he did what he was trained to do and help. He first tried getting the hobo off the other man. The guy must have been drunk because he stunk. When he turned to check on the victim he was just surprised to see that it was his lab tech of a friend Adam. He turned his attention back to the drunk when he ran down the alley. So he went back to checking on Adam. He was reasonably angry, but he was a little more defensive than Danny thought he should have been and that's when it got a little weird for him.**

"**I'm fine Lucas." He remembers Adam shouting at him.**

**He had no idea who this 'Lucas' guy was and why Adam had called him that. All he knew was that he was just involved in something serious and it seemed to have really shook him up, to a point that the CSI knew he wouldn't be able to get any answers out of. That's why they were there. Maybe they could talk it over a couple of beers or if he didn't want to, at least he had to try to calm him down. He really was worried about the guy.**

'_What the hell is wrong with you?' the bearded man asked himself, 'splash', as he washed his face with cold water. 'You didn't need to do that.' He silently added. 'Ok, just relax. Just pretend nothing happened.' He suggested to himself. He knew that it was a piece of crap of an idea, but he tried to comfort himself. 'He'll understand.'_

_It really was eerie, the similarities. On the anniversary of that terrible summer day back in Phoenix, the one night his alcoholic of a father came back after seventeen years to just beat him up all over again, on this one night, who comes to his rescue? He did… like he used to. It was so eerie he slipped up and called him 'Lucas.'_

_Adam can't even remember when was the last time he said his name out loud like that. He's not sure if; it was on the day he died, the trial day or on the bum's release. He's thought about him constantly, but he doesn't remember the last time he ever said his name. He even misses calling him._

The blonde had ordered a couple of beers. He texted Don that he couldn't make it tonight. 'Something came up.' in his own words. He was just about to check his watch again, when his companion came back and sat down on the bar stool next to him.

"Hey," Danny greeted, putting his cell back in his pocket. "You ok now?"

"Yeah," Adam replied in a bitter laugh. "I'm ok."

"I took the liberty of ordering you a drink." The older of the two said as the bartender took out another bottle.

"Thanks." He politely replied and took a swig of the cold beverage.

**He took a look of him drinking. 'It was a pretty long swig' he thought. It wasn't the type that looked like 'I just got into a fight and now I'm thirsty.' It looked more like 'I just want to forget what just happened.' He wasn't used to seeing him like this. ****He got so used to the lab tech to be more energetic, lively, a little clumsy and awkward but endearing. There were times he teased him about it. He'd give him a hard time about the littlest things. He was like… a little brother.**

**He was just caught in a fight. He's never seen him in a fight before, he wasn't the type to. He always thought that he was too smart to ever be caught in a fight. Now, he's weary and tired. He looks at him and thinks 'he needs someone.' He's not sure if he's qualified, but he was willing to help him in any way he can, and only if he wanted to. He wasn't going to force the young man to tell him his life story. If they'd just end up sitting here in silence drinking a couple of beers, that would be ok. He'll just be here for him.**

"I thought you were meeting Don at Sullivan's tonight." The bearded man opened conversation.

"I was." The bespectacled man answered. "But he cancelled; he's got a hot date." and he lied.

"You don't?" he asked rhetorically, sounding a little more bitter than usual.

"No," he answers trying to laugh it off. "I don't." took a drink of his own.

"Not even with Lindsay?" he asked bluntly, causing the other man to choke on his drink a little.

He coughed a little and gave the other man a questioning look, before licking his lips and answering. "It's complicated."

"Oh," the younger man said, fearing that he may have just struck a nerve. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to pry."

"Adam, it's ok." He reassured him with a warm smile.

'_Calm down.' The lab tech told himself. This really got him on edge. He wanted to act all normal, but he ended up acting like a jerk. It's understandable that he may act like this right after what had just happened, but Danny shouldn't get the worst of him right now. He had just saved him from his own father. He doesn't deserve that._

"So, how's the 'dancer' case?" he casually changed the subject. "-The one with deodorant on her top."

"Oh, you were right about the pineapple fibers." The older man answered. "Only the guests were wearing them. The particular fibers we got from the necklace came from one of the celebrants nephews."

"A modern day 'Richie Rich' type?" the other man rhetorically asked with a smile.

"A married 'Richie Rich,'" He corrected him. "He was having an affair with Gina Fernando. She threatened to tell his wife. They fought. She ended up dead." He explained.

"Oh," he said again. "Kinda cliché, don't you think?" he asked with a feign grin.

"Definitely." He agreed. "It's funny, but you work this long enough, you don't too many surprises anymore." then took another drink.

They both fell into this slightly awkward silence, both not really knowing how to go on from there. They just sat their quietly occasionally sipping their beers. There were small bits of conversation about the lab and recent events and other happenings, civil and polite conversation.

'**Ok, no pressure.' He mentally tells himself as he drinks his beer. 'Don't try to make too much eye contact and don't try to be too suffocating.' He added. 'Just let him tell you what he wants to tell you. Don't pressure him.' **

_Most of the awkwardness came from the jumpy lab tech, his foot bouncing lightly on the stool step just beneath him. Again, he tells himself to calm down, looking at the other man next to him just sitting calmly drinking his own beer. 'Why can't you be more like that?' he asked himself. 'Why can't you be more like Lucas?'_

"Are you going to talk about him or not?" the older of the two asked bluntly, causing the other man to jump a little.

"What?" he asked, almost like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"The guy? Earlier?" he asked, making hand gestures trying to remind him of what had happened half an hour ago. "The bum? The one who beat you up earlier? What happened? You got mugged or something?"

"Huh, ah no, no, no" he nervously answered shaking his head slightly as if the notion were impossible. "No, I didn't get mugged. I've still got my wallet." he addd tapping on his backpocket.

"That's good." He replied, though he didn't fully buy into it. "So, what happened? Did he try to?"

"To, to what? Mug me?" he asked and the other man nodded. "No. He didn't."

"So, what it was some random act of violence?" he asked rhetorically, his hands up in the air for exaggeration.

_He didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. If he said 'no', because it would lead into a long conversation, he's still not sure he's ready to have. He couldn't say 'yes', because it wasn't random. It wasn't random at all._

"Adam," Danny pulled him back to reality. "If you don't want to talk about it… I'd understand."

"No. I mean yes. I mean… er, I." he tried to explain himself, but he doesn't know the right words to say. He doesn't even know what to say. "I'm sorry, Danny."

"Don't be." He puts his hand on Adams shoulder and gives it a comforting rub. "You've been on the edge lately. I don't know why, and I don't need to know if you don't want me too." He explains trying to ease the other man's uneasiness. "I'm just a little worried about you, kid."

_That was it. It was like a lightning bolt on the base of his spine and up his neck. He looks at him. He looks straight at him. He knows it's not exactly him, but just by that word, that little word, it felt like him. For that split second, it felt exactly like him. He thought he was looking at him._

"You've got a brother right?" he asked.


End file.
